Owen Strachan - Always in Gods Hands: Day by Day in the Company of Jonathan Edwards

I gladly commend this tremendous collection of devotions. A bit of Scripture, a bit of Edwards, and a bit of meditation a powerful combination.

TIM CHALLIES

Author and blogger at challies.com

Jonathan Edwards held an unshakable faith in the sovereignty and active providence of God. The center of this faith was absolute confidence in the goodness of God and His loving relationships with His creation especially His human creatures. Edwards was a man of unparalleled devotion and an unrivaled mind. The passage of three centuries has not dimmed his words or diminished his monumental contribution to Christian thought. This new devotional by Owen Strachan is a welcome introduction to Edwardss piety and theological insights. Strachan gives us the best of Edwardss theologically rich, warmhearted worship of the Savior he loved.

R. ALBERT MOHLER JR.

President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

I must confess, I really like daily devotional books. Luther, Lloyd-Jones, the Puritans, the church fathers, and, of course, Spurgeon, among others, are constant companions of mine in this format. Now I have another one to add. Dr. Owen Strachan, a noted Jonathan Edwards scholar, has put together a wonderful collection of quoted material penned by Edwards, with accompanying reflections and Scripture, for every day of the year. This is an excellent way to be introduced to and benefit from Jonathan Edwards if youve never really read him. (Your high school or college American Lit course reading of Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God doesnt count.) Even if youve read a lot of Edwardss works, youll enjoy approaching them devotionally here. Always in Gods Hands will give you beautifully and powerfully stated biblical truth from the writings of Edwards providing you with plenty to think about profitably and to pray over personally.

LIGON DUNCAN

Chancellor and CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary

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Always in Gods Hands: Day by Day in the Company of Jonathan Edwards

Copyright 2018 by Owen Strachan. All rights reserved.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN 978-1-4964-2485-3

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To Jason Allen

They will be grateful that, at the threatened nightfall, the blood of their fathers ran strong.

WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY, JR.

J ONATHAN E DWARDS IS WELL-KNOWN in many cases exclusively so for his sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, read in many high school English classes. There, students learn to fear Edwards, and to look askance at his God.

Edwards did not shy away from preaching the whole counsel of God, and neither should any pastor. He knew that Gods justice and mercy do not clash, but together drive the needy sinner to repentance and faith. Only by seeing the depths of our sin will we hunger to taste the great grace offered us through Christs death and resurrection. But having noted his sound commitment to preaching the whole Bible, we can see that Edwards also preached a great deal on heaven. Moving beyond the caricatures, this book seeks to recapture the true Jonathan Edwards. He was a faithful pastor who believed that humankind was not made for small pleasures, but Godward ones. Today, as ever, we need to recover this vision for our daily lives.

The title Always in Gods Hands emerges from some of the letters Edwards wrote. For example, writing to his daughter Esther in 1753, Edwards reminded her that he could not perfectly guide her and guard her, but God would. This comforting perspective, coming from a doting father to his beloved child, goes to the very heart of the Christian faith. It is a fearsome thing to fall into the hands of a justly angered God, but it is a wonderful thing impossible beyond words, beyond finite human reckoning to be secure in the hands of a loving Savior.

This devotional will bring you into close contact with the soaring theology, comforting spirituality, and invigorating exhortation of one of historys most faithful and gifted pastors. You will see that I quote from all sorts of Edwardss materials letters to his friends, sermons on many biblical themes, philosophical works, and more. As you read materials that, in many cases, very few have studied in a devotional way, you will get a sense for just how prolific Edwardss pen and mind were. This is intentional. If you have little familiarity with Edwards, I hope you will enjoy reading a range of his writings. And if all youve ever read from Edwards are the excerpts presented in this book, you will have read roughly 30,000 words from his pen a lot more of his work than most people on the planet have ever read.

We follow a simple format. Each day begins with a selection from Edwardss writings, usually just a paragraph in length, and then offers brief commentary and a suggestion for application. A verse concludes the days offering, inviting you to delve more deeply into the Scriptures that Edwards gave his life to herald. We have also spliced in numerous historical selections. These give context and showcase Edwardss endeavors, struggles, and faith. He was a sinner like us, and we lament his shortcomings. But as with every redeemed sinner, we can learn much from him. Outside of Christ, God has not left us to emulate perfect human guides, only imperfect ones (1 Corinthians 11:1; 2 Corinthians 4:5-7).

I pray that this devotional approach to the writings of Jonathan Edwards will help to strengthen your faith, hope, and spiritual practice. Discouragement is so close at hand in our day, but we can be certain that God is closer still. We see this theme throughout Edwardss writing.